The Crusader design for the environment program at United Defense, LP

This paper considers the issues with respect to implementing a design for the environment (DFE) program within Crusader at United Defense, LP. The Crusader program consists of designing and building a new, state-of-the-art, self propelled howitzer and resupply vehicle for the U.S. Army. The latest revision of Department of Defense (DOD) 5000.2 requires that life cycle environmental aspects be analyzed very early in the design process. The 1995 Defense Appropriations Act Section 815 requires that environmental costs be considered as an integral part of the system life cycle cost analysis. To start this effort Crusader personnel, with the assistance and guidance of Army staff within the Office of the Program Manager, developed an Environmental Design Guide, trained design teams on the elements of the guide, and prepared a DFE video to assist in ongoing training. An additional effort, to prepare an abridged life cycle environmental assessment (LCEA), is being undertaken with the assistance of Battelle, to meet Army and design team needs. The LCEA will help substantiate design choices that may cast more up-front but save the customer on cost-of-ownership over the life cycle of the system.